Redirect error in Search Console: what it means and how to fix it

Google’s Page indexing report lists the faults it counts as a redirect error: a redirect chain that was too long, a redirect loop, a redirect URL that eventually exceeded the maximum URL length, and a bad or empty URL in the redirect chain. In each case no page was reached, so nothing was indexed.

Open the address in a browser with the developer tools’ network panel showing, or paste it into any redirect checker. Note each hop: the address requested, the address it forwarded to, and so on until it stops or repeats. The pattern identifies the fault.

Chains build up over years. An address forwards to its replacement, which was later replaced itself, and so on. Rewrite the rules so that every old address forwards directly to the current one, in a single step.

A loop is two rules disagreeing. One part of the setup forwards to the address with www, and another forwards to the address without it. Or the site forces https while a service in front of it sends http. Decide on one form of the address, and remove whichever rule sends traffic the other way.

A redirect can point at an address that is empty, mistyped or malformed, often after a spreadsheet of redirects was imported with an error in it. Check the destination of the rule and correct it.

Some rules add to the address each time they run, appending the same text again and again until it is too long to use. The cause is a rule that matches its own output. Narrow it so that it applies once.

Test the address again, then use Validate fix in Search Console. Redirects that work are a separate, normal status, covered in page with redirect. Rebuilds are when most of these faults are introduced, and redesigning a website without losing rankings covers how to plan the redirects.